Smoke Gets in Your Eyes
by AriandEzra
Summary: In 1943, girls didn't typically go to college. However, Aria Montgomery isn't your typical girl; she never has been and never will be. Enrolled at Hollis College, Aria's deviation from the usual road of a woman will be tested, but most importantly, tested by falling in love with the enticing Ezra Fitz.
1. Chapter 1

**I don't know if anybody has seen them, but the stills came out today for the noir episode. Almost immediately, seeing Ezria in the 1940s era inspired me. It's one of my favorite time periods and I felt that it was perfect for them. Thus, I give you this lovely little piece. I plan on making it full length, but I am not dropping my other stories. It depends on what I'm in the mood for, but currently, I'm very inspired towards writing this piece period. **

**That being said, please bear with me with this chapter. I've been looking up lingo from the 1940s. It's also been such a long time since I've written from Aria's POV, so please forgive for how crappy this probably it. Please review though! I promise it'll get better once I get back into the swing of it. **** I plan on just writing this story as it goes. I know certain things that I want to happen, but it's not all plotted out. I want to see if it'll make me want to write it more because I have more leeway to take things. **

**Remember; 20 reviews gets you a quicker update!**

**DISCLAIMER: I own nothing.**

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_My Darling Ezra,_

_I miss you – what a simple thing to say. It's been a few days since I've last heard from you, my love. The lack of penmanship on your end is spooking me. I hope you don't think I'm nuts for writing you another letter when you haven't replied to my last one yet._

_Do you miss me? It's foolish of me to even ask that question, isn't it? I guess I'm full of them, darling. Questions are all I'm made up of lately. The girls and my mother have been noticing how edgy I've been lately. Knowing you, if you were here, you'd tell me to relax. You'd go all soppy on me and talk about us getting hitched to numb the worry that is my mind. I promise you, Ezra, that once I hear from you, I'll leave this whacky behavior behind. However, until then, I'll continue to wrack my brains. No telegram yet, so I assume this is a good thing. _

_When it gets really late, I think about you. Well, of course I think about you. I think of you all the time. You're in everything I do, darling. From painting my lip in the morning to writing this letter right this very moment. I picture you sitting beside me, combing through the paper or reading a novel while I chew on the cap of my pen. In the morning, I see you trying to make a pass and get me to come back to bed. _

_But it's late at night when I really take a moment to stop and think. When I'm lying in bed, I have the whole world to my disposal to imagine you holding me tight or humming some tune to help me sleep. Last night however, I relived how we first met. Do you remember it, honey? I know it sounds corny, but you were such a dreamboat. The moment I first saw you, I knew. I knew, Ezra, that you were the one for me. That was it. I was sold. And because of that, I have full hope that you'll be brought back to me safe and sound. _

_It's getting to be that late hour, darling, so I'm afraid I must go. How about we make a deal? At exactly 9 every night, I'll think of you and you'll think of me. Is it a date? _

_Goodnight, my love. Write soon. _

_Your Aria_

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**September, 1943**

Aria Montgomery bounced up and down on the soles of her T-strap heels. They clacked against the sidewalk as she took in the greenery that Hollis College had to offer. The campus was one large expanse of grass, never varying in its bright shade of green. While most girls felt nervous entering what was considered a man's world, Aria couldn't have been more excited. It radiated from the top of her well-curled and styled hair to the tips of her toes. She'd been one of the lucky few to be admitted to Hollis. Typically, girls didn't go to college however, Aria refused to be another housewife. She wanted a life for herself, even if it meant becoming a secretary or a nurse in the war.

Boys roamed about the quad in their collared shirts and tight fitting sweaters. Some of them looked her way, causing her to blush slightly and wave back with a coy wiggle of her fingers. It seemed as if all females on the campus besides her were in hiding, but Aria didn't mind. She'd always been the one who vied for adventure and breaking out of the mold. Holding back wasn't in Aria's nature. When she was accepted to the school, she'd made a promise not to go traipsing after boys, but Aria was never one for following rules, even if they were that of her own.

"So it looks like I'm not the only broad around here," spoke a husky voice behind her. Aria spun, her curls following suit with the direction her head. Standing before her was another girl; the first one she'd seen barring herself all day. She towered over Aria, but then again, the petite brunette barely passed the 5-foot mark.

"No, I guess not," Aria chimed, a smile gracing her red painted lips. She'd been confident around the boys, but knowing there was a female around to cavort and gossip with made the small lump of nerves in her stomach dissolve. "Aria Montgomery." Never being one for a prolonged introduction, Aria stuck out her hand to the stranger.

"Spencer Hastings," the taller girl replied, receiving Aria's handshake. The first thing Aria noticed about Spencer was that she was dressed in ritzy attire. 'Hastings' was an expensive sounding name as it was. Upon seeing the small diamond studs Spencer wore, Aria didn't doubt that her father was something along the lines of a megabucks millionaire.

Aria smiled back, letting go of Spencer's hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you." Chewing on the inside of her lip, Aria racked her brain for something else to say. In high school, she had never been the most popular. Aria had been considered the dork; she didn't attend football games, she was always changing hairstyles and experimenting with fashion. Not to mention, she had been as flat as a beanpole for the duration of her 4 years in high school.

Something over the summer made Aria blossom. She liked to assume it was her family's trip to Italy for a week; their big splurge before she went off to college, albeit a few miles away from home in Rosewood. It was as if the European sun made her curves more pronounced and her lips fuller. Aria left as a little girl and came back a woman just in time for college.

Clutching her books to her chest, she tried not to rock back and forth on her heels. "What class do you have first?"

"English 101, over in Cartwright Hall," Spencer replied. She looked just as nervous as Aria, perhaps even more. "What about you?"

"Mind walking me to class?" Aria laughed softly, loosening her grip on her books. "It appears we share the same first period."

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As Aria trudged along to Cartwright Hall, Spencer at her side, she made a mental note not to wear heels again when travelling so far across campus. Her toes felt cramped and stuffed inside of her shoes. With every step, Aria could feel the leather digging into her feet. All she wanted was a seat in her English lecture; and perhaps a pair of loafers to ease the trek to her next class.

Conversation with Spencer was sparse. It appeared that the taller girl was shy, which was the total opposite of Aria. With every gaze a boy gaze her, she returned it with the same coquettish smile. The best part was watching them freeze. No girl dared to flirt back with a boy; all girls except Aria. That's how it always was and always would be. She knew she was unique, but it wasn't a fact that bothered her. Aria embraced it.

Retribution for her toes came in the form of Room 104 where her English class was held. The moment she and Spencer entered the classroom, Aria all but sprinted to the nearest desk. She didn't care if it was in the front; any chair was good enough for her, so long as she could give her aching toes a rest.

As Spencer sat down silently beside her, Aria smiled. The girls had an unspoken agreement already – they'd stick together. After all, birds of a feather flocked together. They were the only ones with female qualities in the sea of men that surrounded them.

"Have you heard anything about the class?" Aria propped her chin up on the palm of her hand. If there was one thing she wanted to do by the end of the semester, it would be to open Spencer up. The quiet was bothering Aria. Ever the chatterbox, having to keeps her lips sealed was becoming more and more difficult. "I'm keen on English."

Keen was an understatement. English was Aria's first love. Literature was what she breathed. Any book she could get her hands on was stuffed into her bookshelf at home. Only her favorites did she tote along to Hollis. For most girls her age, Aria was considered well read. It was easy for her to decipher themes and symbolism more so than it was for her to hold regular conversation.

"I've heard the teacher's pretty dreamy," Spencer said with a small smirk on her face. Someone entering the room soon caught her attention. When Aria saw her cohort's eyes shift, her own hazel orbs followed to the thin framed doorway.

She only saw his back first, but oh, what a beautiful back it was. Even though it was early in the morning, he seemed to have shed his sports jacket. The sleeves of his button down were rolled up to his elbows, exposing strong arms while the snug fitting vest he wore framed his back muscles with his every movement. Aria's entire focus rested on the way his agile hands picked the piece of chalk at the blackboard and scribbled his name across the board in a chicken-scratch scrawl.

_Professor Ezra Fitz_; _English 101_

Aria hadn't realized she was gnawing on her bottom lip roughly until he turned around. She bit down too hard, hard enough to draw blood. The salty taste barely fazed her as her eyes met a pair of blue ones. They were a unique shade; light like the color of the cloudless sky out the window. His hair was slightly tousled, a curl already coming undone from its gelled back position and resting gently on his forehead. Aria wanted to reach out at tuck it back.

"Hello, class. I'm Ezra Fitz and I'll be your professor for the next year. Don't be a flat-head and we'll get along just fine."

Professor Fitz's voice was rich, like velvet. It wrapped Aria up snuggly, inviting her into the entity that was her English teacher. As he launched into their lesson, Aria found herself focusing less on the content and more on the man teaching it. Suddenly, all the boys that had been eyeing her earlier paled in comparison.


	2. Chapter 2

**Before I jump into this chapter, there's something I need to address in regards to a particularly condescending review left on the first chapter. **

**I am not a historian. I am a writer. I cannot guarantee that this story will be historically accurate. Yes, I'm aware that in reality, Aria would be in the workforce and Ezra would be a solider, but that is not what my story is about. My story is about people falling in love in the wrong place, at the wrong time, and in an era where it was even more scandalous than that of our own. It's called fiction for a reason and it's not as if I'm going out to publish a novel. I'm using my poetic license. If you are a history buff and have an issue with it, do not read. It was nice of you to review, but reviews are made for kind comments, not condescending ones. You were better off keeping your thoughts to yourself.**

**With that being said, I'm really happy towards the response I've gotten to the story so far. One of the writers even RTed a tweet about it (huge thank you to Lyndsey). Just remember that 20 reviews gets you a chapter quicker, so please leave them! And be nice.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

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Ezra folded his grade book in his hands as his first period class exited the stuffy lecture hall. Perhaps it was merely his own premonitions, but the room had felt as if it grew hotter from the moment he first stepped in. The air was more pungent with a scent only students could provide. It smelled like sweat and brainpower. Despite his love for teaching, it wasn't necessarily on Ezra's top ten list of smells.

Noticing two girls milling about in the front, Ezra coughed slightly. One of them, the taller one, looked up with an expression of alarm written on her face. Whispering something to the girl still sitting at her desk, she hurried out of the room, books tucked safely in her arms.

Her cohort continued to write. Ezra had never seen anything like it. He'd only been a student teacher during his senior year of college, but not even then had he'd seen someone so concentrated on scribbling words onto a piece of paper – other than himself, of course. Most students were eager to leave the classroom. He let out another cough, wondering if that would catch her attention.

"I'm in the middle of a thought." Ezra smirked slightly. So he _had_ got her attention. The girl continued to chirp, slamming down her pen frustrated. "And some yuck of a guy interrupts me with his hacking."

He almost laughed. The girl really had no idea who she was speaking to. But then again, Ezra couldn't blame her if she was writing. He'd had his moments of absorption into the English language where he'd blocked out all forms of vision except for what he was scrawling onto the page. Nonetheless, her sass entertained him.

Ezra's chortle caused the girl to look up, allowing him to get a good look at her. She was a doll and not just in the figurative sense. Her skin was pure and smooth looking, as if she bathed in milk and honey every night. The girl's face was chiseled to perfection, or at least that was what Ezra thought. She had an angular jaw and high cheekbones, but her exotic features and strong eyebrows didn't take from her beauty. If anything, it enhanced it. She wore very little makeup, but her lips were painted a vivid red and her hair was combed, curled, and twisted to a stylized 'do. Everything about her was fragile and breakable. But something in the defiant tone of her voice told Ezra she was anything but.

She'd been the one whose eyes he met when he first entered the lecture hall. It was those hazel doe eyes that sparkled as he spoke and made Ezra feel as if he were the best professor that resided at Hollis. The girl had been so engaged and after giving a glance at the full sheet of paper in front of her, he could see why.

Those hazel eyes widened the moment she got a load of who she sassed. "Oh my, I am so sorry, Professor Fitz. I didn't mean to snap my cap with you. I just…writing, you see. It gets me going and when I have a good thought, I don't like to be stopped." He found her rambling adorable.

"It's quite alright, Miss…Miss…" Ezra dug his fingernails into the palm of his hand. Leave it to him to forget a student's name. Especially one that was so beautiful; that made something inside of him flutter.

_Get a hold of yourself_, his mind whispered to him. It was wrong to even think of his student as beautiful. Despite Ezra being 23, he had morals to uphold. A gorgeous 18 year old couldn't be on his radar, especially when such thoughts could get him in trouble or fired.

"Miss Montgomery," she replied. "Aria Montgomery. I've been sitting dead smack in front of you all morning, Professor Fitz." Aria chewed a bit on the end of her pen. Ezra immediately wondered if it was a nervous habit of hers.

He nodded his head. "Right, Aria. I mean, Miss Montgomery. It's alright; I know what it's like to get wrapped up in my head."

"It's kind of like a blanket you don't want to escape from, right?"

Ezra nodded once more. She seemed so mature for a freshman. Even the tone of her voice didn't suggest that of a teenager. As far as he could tell from her confident demeanor, it appeared to Ezra that Aria was very sure of who she was. She hadn't buckled in fear of him yelling at her. Almost immediately, Ezra could feel that there was something unique about her. It drew him in towards Aria in a way that teachers weren't supposed to be drawn.

"Sometimes," he replied, perching on the edge of her desk. "Most of the time, the thoughts in my head make for a good story. Other times, not so much. They make me want to scream."

"Isn't that the beauty of thoughts though? They're uncontrollable. You can't stop whatever pops into your head. There's no filter, it's all honesty."

Chewing on the inside of his lip, Ezra nodded. She was good at debating. "I suppose so. But do you have the desire to be kept up at nights with unpleasant thoughts?"

Aria pursed her lusciously colored brims. "I'd rather have unpleasant thoughts than be brainwashed into thinking everything in the world is bright and rosy."

Ezra couldn't disagree more with her. With the all corners of the world at each other's throats, he'd rather be fooled into thinking everything was fine. He'd seen enough newsreels with death tolls and injuries to last him a lifetime. But nobody could blame him. The telegram delivered to his doorstep a month ago to state that his brother had died in battle was enough to make Ezra put on a pair of rose colored glasses.

But that wasn't information he desired to share with a student, even if was one that got him in an artistic aspect. "I guess," Ezra mumbled.

Not pleased with his answer, Aria put coveted piece of paper into a notebook and tucked it into her arms. It balanced on top of the textbook she'd received from him earlier. Ezra chewed on his lip some more. So much for creating a connection.

"Well, thanks for your perspective, Professor Fitz," Aria said, pushing up from her seat. "I'll see you tomorrow morning, bright and early."

"You as well, Miss Montgomery," Ezra replied, watching as she began to make her way from the room.

It all happened very quickly. The heel of Aria' T-strap shoe caught in a crack on the floor. She screamed, her books falling out of her hands, her body heading towards the hard floor. Ezra propelled himself off the desk, arms looping around Aria's small body just in time before she could smack against the hard tiled floor. The skin on his arms prickled as the fabric of her dress brushed against his hands. Ezra was close to her, far closer than he ever expected himself to be. He could feel her breath fanning across his face as she tried to compose herself from the fall.

"I have to go," Aria uttered, collecting her books. Within seconds, she was gone without so much as a trace. Except for that of her flowery perfume.


End file.
